Using the new PoronXrd® impact foam that is soft to the touch but stiff to the impact, the Dynamitire airless tire inner tube concept solves the problems found in the existing wheel systems while optimizing the basic functionalities of rolling vehicles. Due to PoronXrd's dynamic nature, the Dynamitire will ride softly at low speeds but will firm-up and roll optimally at higher speeds. The Dynamitire will also compensate dynamically with road surface imperfections dynamically by getting rigid exactly where it counts while protecting the rim and other components from strong impacts. The Dynamitire will feature Better Traction, more optimal rolling resistance, be puncture resistant and provide unrivaled comfort better than any pneumatic or solid state tire out currently.
"A new kind of bicycle tire is able to automatically adjust its road traction, depending on how quickly the cyclists is traveling. The tire, called Dynamitire, was conceived and prototyped by industrial designer Kyle Dell’Aquila.
Additionally, the dynamic airless tire is able to mitigate rim and spoke damage, is puncture resistant, and provides unrivaled comfort.
The key smart material in the system is Poron XRD, which is a strain rate dependent foam that was created by Rogers Corporation in Connecticut. The foam is engineered to be soft and pliable, but becomes stiff when something hits it. After impact, the foam returns to its soft and pliable state, making the product reusable. Other foams exhibit this behavior, but Poron XRD is among the best.
This change in properties means that you are riding on a soft tire, with lots of contact surface area available when the going is slow on tricky terrain. However, as you speed up, the tire becomes firmer and changes shape, to reduce contact area and become something that is much more like a racing tire.
A working prototype of the tire has been fabricated, demonstrated, and tested, and the results show that vibration is clearly reduced when the Dynamitire is compared with conventional tires. The new tire is also better at absorbing the kind of impact forces that can damage tires, such as hitting a curb.
Dell’Aquila’s project was conceived and developed at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he was enrolled in a smart materials advanced design course taught by Peter Yeadon. Yeadon is known for his research into applications for smart materials and nanomaterials in architecture and design, and has been teaching courses on the topic at RISD for over a decade now. Thanks to a few industry partners (Rogers Corporation, PolyWorks, and G-Form), Yeadon’s students were able to produce working prototypes and test their ideas."
